Truncated Memories
by Dolce-tasie
Summary: Tsuna had lost his memory, and the guardians can only watch miserably from afar as he tries to grasp shadows out of his uncooperative mind. (Christmas one-shot, KHR!SecretSanta2014)


**Summary: Tsuna had lost his memory, and the guardians can only watch miserably from afar as he tries to grasp shadows out of his uncooperative mind.**

**A/N: This is my first one-shot, and also a tribute to Torashii. :D**

**This is also done in accordance to the KHR!SecretSanta2014 forum! I hope you enjoy your gift, Torashii! :) I am doing the second choice of your post.**

**This fic is done in a slightly different style from my usual one, so if it's awkward... I am sorry. *bows***

**And now...**

**Warning: grammatical mistakes, weird sentence structure, all in the name of 'maybe'.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

**Yosh!**

**(Merry Christmas to everyone, by the way!)**

* * *

><p>- December 1st, 19:00 -<p>

A pale hand reached up weakly to rub his eyes, and honey-brown eyes were revealed.

"W-Where..." Coughs wracked his body, and his small frame shuddered. The beeping machine beside him increased its tempo, and the male registered in the back of his mind that besides not knowing where he is...

He didn't know many, _many_ other things too.

It was a strange feeling, like he was a jigsaw puzzle but almost all the pieces are missing. It left him with an empty, hollow feeling. Yes,_ empty_, _hollow_, those were probably the words to use.

The door opened, and light soon flooded the room as a switch was flicked by one of the men donning white coats.

"Tenth, are you okay?" Cool glass touched his lips, and the male gulped down the liquid greedily. Feeling the soreness of his throat ease, the man turned his gaze to the man in a black suit, unlike the other men in white coats.

"Who...are you?"

He didn't think he will ever forget the widened forest green eyes, and the unnatural shade of silver hair.

* * *

><p>- December 1st, 20:34 -<p>

"What the hell happened to the Tenth?!" Gokudera Hayato slammed the table. The vase of flowers rattled, but Shamal didn't show even a flicker of recognition at what the silver-haired man just did.

Hayato clenched and unclenched his fists, counting to ten mentally and trying to get his anger under control. After a moment of much-needed silence, he settled down on the couch, his fingers twitching for a cigarette but knowing he carried none around nowadays.

Shamal looked up from his documents with a rare serious look.

"Finally got a lid over your emotions? You have to be better than that." _As the tenth generation of Vongola's Storm guardian._ What was unsaid went unsaid.

Hayato did not reply.

Shamal moved over to the couch opposite the eighteen-years-old.

"i'll be straightforward. Amnesia. He doesn't remember anything." Hayato's throat went dry.

"Not...not any of us?" He gripped the fabric of his pants. "Takeshi? Ryohei? Me? Or_ Mamma_?"

Shamal shook his head grimly, and Hayato felt his world crash down on him.

* * *

><p>- December 2nd, 14:00 -<p>

"He doesn't remember any of us." Hayato reported grimly, and collective gasps and various different reactions occurred throughout.

Chrome looks stricken. "I - M-Mukuro-sama can try to - "

"_No_." Iemitsu shook his head, his lips set in a grim line.

"No one is to attempt to break into Tsuna's mind. His guard was trained to be up no matter what happened to his physical body. Unless he dispels it consciously, breaking in is a definite no." Chrome pursed her lips and looked down at her hands on her lap. Mukuro placed a comforting hand on her head.

"We... We have to make Tsuna remember. He can't just..." Takeshi's fist slowly clenched. "Forget. The Tsuna I know don't do such things."

"Tsuna-nii won't forget us. Let's try to make him remember, at least?" Lambo's lower lip wobbled, and I-pin patted his shoulder comfortingly with a few hushed words.

Kyouya regarded the scene with a disdainful look. Without a sound, he left the room, not without a few pairs of eyes following him.

"He can still remember." Ryohei spoke, and everyone's eyes turned to him. "It's not like he will forget about us forever. If he does, I'll punch him...to the extreme." A determined glint entered his eyes as he gritted his teeth. Takeshi squared his shoulders as he sat upright, though his eyes still look slightly defeated.

"It's like what Ryohei-senpai says. We can still try...to make Tsuna remember."

"The Vongola doesn't give up so easily... _Tsuna-nii_ doesn't give up so easily." Fuuta said, and Chrome brushed off the tears at the corner of her eyes.

"I-I want to trust in Boss too." Mukuro smirked at that.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi is not a weakling."

"Tsuna-nii...still owes me grape candies." Lambo stubbornly wiped the tears leaking from his eyes away. "He's overdue so he have to pay double."

Ryohei nodded, and Hayato felt his heart lighten.

There was still hope, wasn't there?

"I have made arrangements." Everyone's eyes turned to Iemitsu. "I'll send Tsuna to Namimori tonight."

"So we'll have to pack quickly to leave later." Takeshi supplied, and Iemitsu shook his head.

"No. You guys are not going. Tsuna is going alone."

"But why?! We can help him get better!" Lambo burst out, but the blond only settled himself calmly on the couch.

"It's good that all of you are united even though your boss is down for the moment. We can't let news get out - so all of you have to stay here and clean up what mess was created. There's far too many things going on in Italy still." He explained, his voice unyielding and hard, leaving no room for complaints.

"That's what Tsuna would want. He doesn't like unfinished business." He prompted further.

A moment of silence ensued.

"N-Namimori...isn't too bad." Hayato voiced out first, never being one to disagree with Reborn.

Takeshi nodded reluctantly. "It's where Tsuna grew up and where most of his life was. Our best memories were all back there too."

"Boss will have a better chance there...than here." Chrome agreed, not lacking the reluctance that the other guardians failed to conceive.

Iemitsu let out a sigh, and nodded.

"It's not like he won't be coming back."

* * *

><p>- December 3rd, 08:00 -<p>

Tsunayoshi looked around, dazed and more than a little confused at the unfamiliar skyscrapers (_they should have been familiar_, something in his mind tells him). He glanced around, looking for the guide that a certain brown-haired doctor had informed him of. Apparently, he had lost his memory, and it will be the most therapeutic to go back to Namimori to try and recall them, at the place where he was born.

"Sawada." He turned, and inclined his head cautiously at the black-haired man before him.

The man looks stricken for a moment (almost like the silver-haired lad who had burst into his hospital room), and gestured to the car by the side.

"I will be your chauffeur and guide around Namimori. My name is Mochida Kensuke." Again, that shadow that followed something not-so-familiar. The brunet offered a hesitant smile to the seeming older man who guided him to the car.

"Do I know you?" Tsuna blurted out once the man had gotten into the front seat, and Mochida looks shocked for a moment, and he smiled, a little wistfully.

"I suppose so. You saved my life once, Sawada. I worked for you..." Mochida's eyes hardened. "The old you, not this wishy-washy you that you are now. So please." He looked at him through the mirror.

"Regain your memories." Tsuna shrunk back slightly and did not reply, instead opting to stare out of the window at the passing scenery.

_"Mochida, run!"_

_"I'll take care of them. You should take the route that I told you just now. It should still be free of the enemy."_

_"Man, you sure get yourself into a lot of trouble for someone who's only a nephew of a part-time mercenary for the Yakuza, Mochida-senpai."_

_"Would you like to be an informant for us, and swear eternal loyalty to the Vongola?"_

_"Welcome to the Vongola, Mochida-senpai!"_

Mochida stole a look at the back seat, only to see Tsunayoshi curled up and asleep. His lips quirked up in a smile.

"Stop being a 'Sawada' and come back, Tsunayoshi."

* * *

><p>- December 3rd, 15:02 -<p>

Tsuna looked up at the two-storey house, then turned and nodded his thanks at the man behind him.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Mochida-san." He shifted, and Mochida snorted before heading into the Sawada household.

"This was your old house." Tsunayoshi looked around, a little in awe yet confused.

"Your room is on the second storey. First door to the right." The brunet nodded his thanks, followed Mochida's example in taking his shoes off and went up the stairs carefully.

Once inside, he raised an eyebrow at the room, with a bed pushed to the furthest corner and a simple study desk with a lamp on the other side. A cupboard stood to his left.

_This...isn't my room._ Tsuna put his suitcase down, and headed down the hallway as if he was in a trance. He opened the door to another room.

"This isn't mine too." Tsuna said aloud, then realised what he was doing. He quickly shook his head to (hopefully) clear his mind, and went back to his room, passing by a door with a plate that has a fish carved on it.

As he stepped into his assigned room, Tsuna couldn't help but feel that the bed was at the wrong side - it was even the wrong size, but it clearly wasn't, and with the bed any smaller, Tsuna wouldn't be able to fit in with his build. He let out a slight huff, frustrated.

Quickly getting to unpacking, Tsuna's eyes drifted to the window mid-way through his luggage.

Standing up, he looked out of the window, which showed a generous part of the backyard.

"It's not supposed to..." Tsuna trailed off, then scratched his head, puzzled.

_What was I about to say?_

_Ah...right. It's not supposed to show this scenery._ Tsuna looked out again.

_Then what is it supposed to show?_ He threw himself on the bed, frustrated.

"What am I doing?" He half-lamented, then tensed. Quickly, Tsuna looked around.

_He didn't hear me..._ Relief seeped into his heart, then Tsuna gripped his head.

_But _who_ didn't hear me? Why would I feel relieved if he didn't hear me?_

_"A boss is not supposed to lament, No-good Tsuna."_

Tsuna snapped up, looking around wildly.

No one.

"I am going crazy." Tsuna let himself fall onto the bed again with a sigh.

"Or was I always this way?" He quickly rid himself of the thought. The sudden image of him running around only in a boxer was thrown away too.

After all, it was too ridiculous to be true, yes?

* * *

><p>- December 5th, 16:18 -<p>

"Welcome back, Mochida-san. I just finished washing the dishes." Tsuna greeted, peeling the pink rubber gloves off his hands. To him, it felt somewhat familiar, or even warm - but it was stupid to get attached to a pair of gloves - much less _pink, rubber gloves_ (he had a distinct feeling that someone will kick him if he even dared to caress those gloves).

He heard a grunt from the door, and the man walked in, dumping a bag of groceries on the table.

"I told you I will do the dishes." Mochida growled, and Tsuna shrunk back a bit.

"I-I told you I will help out..." Tsuna replied, a little indignant.

"Well, you don't have to." Mochida replied gruffly and headed upstairs.

Tsuna pouted. He really only just wanted to help. But on the good side, he actually stood up to Mochida, who used to scare him.

_Now I won't get kicked._ He thought gleefully, then paused.

_What...?_

* * *

><p>- December 7th, 14:36 -<p>

Yamamoto Takeshi stepped off the car and looked up at the small, quaint house that he was so familiar with.

He had been the first to finish up his work in Italy - and subsequently ran ahead to book a ticket to Japan as soon as possible. Hayato had been grouchy - but Takeshi would prefer to label that as jealousy.

He grinned, though a little tiredly.

"Yamamoto - ?" Takeshi turned slightly to the man in the yard, who was frozen in the position to cut apples off the apple tree.

"Yo, Mochida." He greeted cheerily. "How's Tsuna?" Mochida stood up slowly, putting the small basket of apples down.

"He's good. No sign of recovering his memories yet, though." The man took his gloves off and dropped them on the ground, before sliding the glass door open.

"Come in. Sawada's out at the moment; said he wanted to get some fresh air. It should be fine. Hibari's Foundation kids are milling around Namimori."

Takeshi nodded in agreement before heading in the house, reveling in the homely feeling the house gave off. He smiled at the past memories he had had - having meals together, babysitting Lambo, I-pin and Fuuta, doing homework together and getting stuck on the blasted question seven every single time...

"Make yourself at home." Mochida headed towards the kitchen and started filling up a kettle.

Takeshi grinned and settled himself down on the couch. "Already doing that."

They remained silent for awhile, the only sound made from Mochida bustling about in the kitchen.

"How's things in Italy?" Mochida questioned casually.

Takeshi shrugged, leaning back on the couch to look up at the ceiling. Mochida entered the living room and placed a cup of tea on the table.

"It's okay. Hayato's handling stuff well. Even Hibari is helping out." Takeshi muttered a soft thanks for the tea before letting the warm liquid slide down his throat.

Mochida frowned. "Not that, I meant how are you guys taking the news - "

"I am home!" A voice rang out from the front door, the telltale sounds of shoes being placed on the shoe rack backing the claim up.

"Welcome back." Mochida answered, then paused. "Sawada, come over to the living room."

Footsteps sounded, and Takeshi felt his heartbeat accelerate for some unknown reason.

_Finally..._ And just when he rounded the corner, Takeshi stood up, swallowing the bile that came up to his throat.

"Tsuna - !" Takeshi called out, his voice thick with emotion - gratefulness, happiness, relief.

The brown-haired man stood there, with a slightly puzzled expression.

Then he caught Takeshi's eye, and it soon morphed into horror - and -

He clutched his head, whimpered, and screamed.

Takeshi could only watch, helpless, as his friend, his boss, his saviour scream at the sight of him.

He felt his heart tear into pieces at the heartbreaking scream.

* * *

><p>It's there...<p>

It's there.

But he knows he doesn't want to know it - there's something _theretheretherethere_ -

_"Stop being pathetic, dame-Tsuna."_

He doesn't want to remember.

It's painful.

_"Stop being pathetic _-

"GET OUT!"

* * *

><p>- December 8th, 23:12 -<p>

"How did it go?" Hayato asked gruffly without looking up, still shuffling through some papers.

A moment of silence ensued, and Hayato looked up, taking a double take at the expression on the Rain guardian's face.

He let out a broken laugh.

"Let's..." His voice broke. "Let's not go see him any time soon, Hayato." His voice got smaller and smaller.

Hayato gritted his teeth and slammed his hands on the table top.

"Why do you think we are doing this?! We want Tenth back with us - so we have to work for it! What are you acting so wimpy about?!" He exploded.

Takeshi narrowed his eyes. "Hayato, you don't understand - "

"You are damn right I don't understand! You didn't even bother explaining!"

"He _screamed_, Hayato! When Tsuna saw me he_ screamed_ - then he yelled 'get out'!" Takeshi yelled, and suddenly, all was silent.

Hayato stood still, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Then after a moment, his tense body relaxed a fraction.

"So what?" He replied softly, and Takeshi's eyes widened.

"He's still our boss, and we are still going to stay by him. We should never give up on him no matter what."

* * *

><p>- December 9th, 17:52 -<p>

Tsuna sat up from bed, and blinked when he took in his surroundings.

A wet cloth slid down his face, and the brunet peeled it off his face. Sparing it a curious glance, he placed the cloth on the side before placing it on the side table.

He gave out a sigh, before getting on his feet to follow the aroma of steamed fish (a voice at the back of his mind told him that he had definitely _smelled_ better fishes, but it was a weird thought so Tsuna quickly banished it).

"Good - " Tsuna glanced at the clock. " - afternoon, Mochida-san."

The man spared him a glance.

"Good afternoon." And he went back to steaming fish.

Tsuna felt a little awkward and out-of-place all of a sudden, and the atmosphere felt slightly sticky, if not uncomfortable and heavy. He quickly took a seat at the dining table - and he quickly berated himself for not escaping to the living room instead.

Finally, Mochida seem to take pity on him and said something.

"Come with me, Sawada." Tsuna rose his head in slight curiosity, but moved to follow Mochida. The latter led the former to the sitting room, and Tsuna's eyes caught sight of the was-not-there-initially objects.

An orange box with a round hole on top with intricate carvings and patterns, and a ring...connected to a chain, then to a smaller ring.

Tsuna felt a headache build up at the back of his head - something missing was there, but it wasn't there and it was there and _he didn't want it to be there -_

"These are yours." Tsuna snap out of his thoughts, and turned to Mochida.

"Huh?" They _do_ look familiar, but...

"Take it. The man who came two days ago wanted to deliver them to you." Mochida growled out, and Tsuna stopped - during his short stay with the man, he had learned that it was good to not argue with him when he was using that tone of voice.

"Two days ago..." Tsuna muttered. What he could remember was hazy - and it consisted of pain pain pain, blue, comforting, familiar, yet _aching_ blue, and screams.

"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Mochida muttered and headed off into the kitchen. Tsuna stared at the - _his_ - objects contemplatively for a moment, before scooping them up and heading into the yard.

He looked at the ring, a little hesitant. It had intricate designs on it - but he didn't understand. Vongola famiglia? The clam family? Was he part of a family that manufactured clams?

The box felt warm - and strangely, alive. Tsuna shook it lightly, and jumped when the box shook back on it's own.

Tsuna gulped, and brought the box closer to his eye level. He stared at it for a period of time - before Mochida's voice brought him back to reality, and he quickly scrambled up to collect his new belongings before heading to the kitchen.

After dinner, Tsuna dared to ask.

"M-Mochida-san...the box shook..." Mochida spared him an eye before washing the dishes.

"So?" He replied gruffly, but Tsuna didn't back down.

"Was it mine?"

"Yes."

Tsuna bit his lower lip.

"W-Who was I?"

"... Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna thinned his lips, feeling a certain calm anger grip him - something he feel that he felt a lot when dealing with roundabout people - _he dealt with roundabout people?_

"Not that! I meant - my job, my identity, my person!" Tsuna clarified, even going as far as to stand up.

"Even until now, I still don't know who sent me to Japan, why I don't remember anything, and why I was even in a foreign country!" Tsuna bit back a frustrated huff - he had a feeling that will not be well-taken..._by...who...?_

Mochida stopped washing the dishes to shoot a fiery glare at Tsuna.

"Well, you want to know? Why don't you make an effort to remember? Screaming like a fucking girl when your friend comes to visit you - are you going to be that way all the way long? Sawada, damnnit, _they are working hard for you_!" Tsuna's eyes widened.

"Your dad - Iemitsu, sent you back to Japan. You were supposed to be in Italy, working hard with your fucking group of friends. And now you dumped them because you couldn't take _the news_!" Mochida screamed back, and all was silent except for the running water.

Tsuna stared. Mochida threw him a scathing glare before turning back to wash the dishes.

"News...? What news? Mochida-san, _what news_?" Tsuna pressured for an answer.

"Go to bed, Sawada." Mochida said, and turned the tap off.

"Clear your mind."

* * *

><p>- December 15th, 16:34 -<p>

Hayato watched as Tsuna walked out of the convenience store. Chrome tugged him out of the way when Tsuna glanced past their hiding spot.

Takeshi had been somehow traumatised by that one time he had visited - and had decided not to go to Japan until Tsuna calmed down. Hayato, ever so eager to see his boss, made a timetable so that he could sneak to Japan without Iemitsu noticing.

Chrome tagged along this time. He was pretty sure the Cloud guardian was roaming around somewhere too - but refused to show himself.

Tsuna disappeared around the corner, and Hayato and Chrome followed at a safe distance behind to ensure his safety to the front door.

Once the Sawada residence's front door clicked close, Hayato quickly got to briefing Chrome on what they will do the next day (a new day of stalking requires variety).

They settled down in a small park with canned drinks once they were done.

"Ne, Storm-man..." Chrome started hesitantly. "Do you think boss will ever remember us?"

Hayato took a big gulp of his canned drink before shooting her a glare.

"Of course! Our boss is the ultimate one! He can definitely get past this..." Hayato looks crestfallen. "Without us..."

Chrome sighed.

None of the guardians who came had gotten close enough to Tsuna after Takeshi's endeavor so as to ensure Tsuna's health.

"I am sure... Boss can do it too." Chrome offered a smile, and raised her drink.

Hayato knocked them, before gulping his down.

"Who are you kidding?" He snorted. "Of course the Tenth can do it." And he threw the can on the ground, before it got kicked back with multiples of the strength used. Hayato blocked the incoming can by raising a hand to catch it.

"Littering is against the rules and regulations of Namimori." From a distance, Kyouya took a sip of his canned drink.

"That omnivore better hurry up." The mutter wasn't missed by Chrome or Hayato.

* * *

><p>- December 20th, 06:00 -<p>

Tsuna groaned and covered his ears.

As if on cue, a loud scream of 'EXTREME' burst out from the streets below - as it had for the past five days.

* * *

><p>- December 21st, 14:23 -<p>

Tsuna hadn't really wanted to go out, but he really needed those potatoes and ginger.

_"Kufufu..."_

Through the throngs of people and crowds, there was just this weird laughter...

Everything happening around him was pretty weird, but this was the weirdest.

He refused to admit that he saw a cow trampling a candy store in the middle of Namimori - surely, surely the Disciplinary Committee who Mochida spoke of with fear would come -

_His head hurt._

Tsuna abandoned his task and quickly went home.

* * *

><p>- December 23rd, 14:42 -<p>

It had been cold between them.

Mochida refused to talk about his past, and Tsuna was abusing aspirin with how much his head hurts sometimes when he stared at the ring and box for too long.

But he was determined to get an answer today.

"Mochida-san." Mochida raised his head, waiting for Tsuna to continue.

"Do you know why I lost my memories?"

Mochida looked at him, before nodding.

"Please tell me." Tsuna replied. His eyes felt fiery to him - but it was a warm, calm kind of fiery - the kind that will back him up no matter what. Determination.

Mochida stared at him - and had probably seen the warm, bright orange flame burning in his eyes.

"Get packing." He said gruffly, and folded up his newspaper before going upstairs.

Tsuna blinked, but quickly got to it.

In an hour, they were on a jet - a luxurious jet he was sure he couldn't afford, then again, he never really thought about the expenses when he was in Japan -

"Where are we heading to?"

Mochida readied his sleep mask.

"Italy." He replied curtly.

* * *

><p>- December 24, 00:48 (JPT Time) -<p>

"I feel energised." Tsuna deadpanned as he stared at the darkening sky.

Mochida snorted. "Of course you do. Let's go." And Tsuna was dragged to a limousine that was waiting by the side.

"...Tsunayoshi."

The man in question jerked up, slightly surprised at the use of his name - Mochida never once used his name back in Japan.

"You wanted this." Tsuna nodded back.

Of course he did.

...or did he?

* * *

><p>Dread pooled in his stomach.<p>

What was he doing that required a limousine?

"The Tenth is here, but Mochida said that he still hasn't recovered his memories."

"Then why did he bring him back?"

"Apparently, Tenth asked for the reason he lost his memories..."

"... Ah."

* * *

><p>- December 25th, 18:57 -<p>

He was supposed to meet the people who were close to him.

He was supposed to remember_ something_ from them.

He was never supposed to forget them.

He was...here.

_"Boss, should I cancel my mission and - "_

_"Go with me? It's really alright, Hayato. I have Reborn with me."_

_"Reborn!"_

_"Dame-Tsuna, what did I tell you abo - "_

_"NO!"_

Everything was gone in an instance. A bullet got through his shield - he got hurt on the head when Reborn pushed him down to avoid the rain of bullets, and Reborn...

His tutor - his first friend - the one who introduced him to this life, the one who helped him gain friends and become who he was - _is_...

Tsuna stared brokenly at the slab of stone in front of him.

He was a burden to his tutor in the end.

He let out a weak, humorless laugh.

He never wanted to remember.

"...boss?"

And all seven of them were there, staring at him unsurely until the red one - _Hayato, his name is Hayato_ - stepped out.

He smiled, a bit tearfully.

"We will be here with you."

And Tsuna's dam broke as he sobbed into his guardians' embrace.

They were there.

_In memory of Reborn,_

_Cherished tutor, friend, advisor._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Meh, I know it's bad orz. Rushed and everything, but come on.**

**I think it's a bit too much to ask Torashii-san to even like this - /sobs/ I am sorry. I am in such a festive mood and Christmas is my birthday -**

**Tell me it doesn't make sense for Reborn to be dead, but come on, anything's possible. He's not invincible even if he's the best.**

**Doxl.**


End file.
